JAKE JOHNSON

Going into my internship I had a lot of expectations and was even slightly nervous about what I may be doing or who I would be working with. Very shortly after starting, I realized I didn’t need to have any of these worries.

When I began, I quickly saw how kind and helpful everyone was. I didn’t have to stress about asking questions or to voice a concern I may have had. This made doing tasks much more enjoyable because I knew I didn’t need to be stressed.

Everyday coming into the internship, I was ready to see what I would be doing. Whether this meant filing, calling/emailing businesses, or writing for the West End Update, I was ready for whatever that day had to offer.

In my time here, I learned a lot about what it means to own a business and how to act when people interact with you about your business. I know after some experiences that I want to be the person who is happy and helpful when people need help and I can offer it to them.

As an intern at the GINCC, I have learned a lot of what the behind the scenes of a business includes. I have seen how much work business owners put in to not only keep their business afloat but to keep a business profitable. I have seen how much time it takes to create and successfully start a business and it inspires me.

Each of the business owners that I interviewed gave me a background on how they started their business. In many cases it was simply lots of research and hard work. In other cases, the owner may have inherited it through family or had it passed down to them. Either way, they needed to be a leader with a strong mind, good communication skills, and they needed to be willing to make sacrifices.

In the final days of high school, I am ready for what is next. I am excited to go to college and study business in hopes of creating my own in the near future.

My time at the GINCC has been very eye opening to how much I will have to work in order to have a successful business. Much like all of the other businesses and members, I am willing to make the needed sacrifices.

As I continued to learn about business and work with the chamber, it only made me more excited for what my future holds. I want to say thank you to Bob and Alastar at the chamber of commerce for helping to give me such an enjoyable and helpful learning experience.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Jake Johnson is the marketing intern at the Greater Ishpeming-Negaunee Area Chamber of Commerce as part of his senior year at Westwood High School.